US citizens think that social media does not have any influence on their online purchasing decisions.

"62% of US citizens claim that Facebook and Twitter, among other sites, do not affect their decisions to purchase products."

"On the other hand, only 5% argue that social media have a high degree of impact upon their purchasing decisions, while another 30% admit that social media channels may contribute to their online acquisition decisions."

"Millennials, a social media audience type considered key by a number of companies, admit that social media marketing strategies bear little impact upon their online purchasing habits. Among the 4 major generation groups surveyed by the report in question, millennials (those born after 1980) were the most likely to say that social media have at least some influence on their buying decisions (50%). But millennials were nearly as likely to say social media channels have no influence at all."

"Among consumers who follow a company on Facebook or Twitter, 34% say that social media have no influence at all on their buying decisions, while 53% say they have some influence."

"Despite the findings of the report, US companies spent a combined USD 5.1 billion on social media advertising in 2013."

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Over one-quarter of all online sales in the UK take place via smartphones and tablets and by 2018, that figure will near two in five.

"The UK retail ecommerce sales will rise 16.0% this year, helped by an improving economy, shoppers’ increasing use of mobile devices for making purchases, and more options for purchase delivery. Total retail sales in the UK, by contrast, will grow by just 3.6% in 2014, and movement will slow after that. Meanwhile, the growth for m-commerce sales is predicted to rise to 64.8% rise this year."

"eMarketer expects tablet-based retail m-commerce sales to double from GBP 9.28 billion (USD 14.50 billion) this year to GBP 20.96 billion (USD 32.75 billion) by 2018. And, for the first time this year, more individuals in the UK will make purchases via tablets than via smartphones, at a projected 16.4 million vs. 15.4 million."

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In 2013, 40% of Asian companies have reported major financial losses due to data breaches.

"Only 35% of Asian companies are confident that they have not had a data breach in the past year."

"Research also indicates that despite lapses in data security, corporate executives are not blaming their own IT departments. In fact, results unveil that 85% of companies in Asia believe their own IT security systems are trustworthy. And 47% of business leaders agree that collaborating with industry by increasing the disclosure of breaches when they happen can minimise damage. However, collaboration remains rare, with companies unwilling to disclose the occurrence of customer information breaches with the media or competitors."

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Almost 1 in 5 (19 percent) UK consumers have experienced problems with home deliveries over the last 12 months.

"The findings indicate that 61 percent of consumers would switch retailers based on an unacceptable online shopping experience. Of those consumers who experienced problems, 35 percent suffered from late deliveries; 28 percent missed deliveries despite being at home, while 26 percent did not receive goods despite the retailer/delivery company claiming otherwise. In fact, 84 percent of consumers believe that retailers should be held accountable, even if they use third-party delivery companies."

"The research also reveals that an increasing number of consumers are more inclined to use 'Click & Collect' services, with nearly 1 in 2 consumers claiming they have used such services in the last 12 months. Of those consumers who have used 'Click & Collect', convenience and cost were by far the biggest reasons for doing so. In the face of growing customer expectations, 61 percent of respondents stated they would switch retailers based on receiving an 'unacceptable' home delivery or 'Click & Collect' experience. When it comes to brand experience, 57 percent of consumers believe that many retailers in-store and online channels are not well integrated, leading to an inconsistent customer experience."

"Online returns continue to be a source of dissatisfaction for many consumers, with 49% stating that having to pay for returns postage and packaging is their biggest frustration. This was followed by having to return items by post /waiting for couriers (33%) and the inability to return goods to store (22%). When it comes to online fashion, which is the biggest sector for returns, more than half (51%) of shoppers are returning at least one item per year, with the majority (24%) returning 1-2 items per year."

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According to a report released by business consultancy company Gemius, three-quarters of online users in Belarus make purchases online, while almost 12 percent made their first purchase within the last 6 months prior to the research.

"The share of Belarusian internet users who shop online has reached 75 percent, the same source reports. Over half of those online shoppers buy home appliances and mobile devices. Computers and laptops were also very popular products purchased online, as 43% of online consumers bought these at least once. 38% of shoppers bought concerts or theater tickets, while 36% opted for tickets for planes and trains."

"In terms of preferred payment methods, customers in Belarus (60 percent of online users) are still eager to pay for their goods ordered online by cash on delivery. Less popular are credit card, which are used for online payments by 13% of Belarusian online consumers. The least popular payment method is via a mobile phone, with only 0.3% having ever used this option."

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